May 19 (Reuters) - French telecommunications group Altice SA
is in advanced talks to buy U.S.-based Suddenlink
Communications in a deal that could value the cable operator at
up to $10 billion, including debt, according to two sources
familiar with the matter.

The deal, which could be announced in the coming days, has
not yet been finalised and could still fall apart.

The regional cable company, backed by private-equity firm BC
Partners and a Canadian pension fund, operates in the South and
Midwest and has 1.43 million customers.

If finalized, the deal would take Altice, which is
controlled by French billionaire Patrick Drahi, into the massive
cable market of the United States for the first time.

Drahi has turned Altice into a serial acquirer since taking
it public in January 2014. Last year alone, the group used its
French cable company Numericable to take over the
country's second largest mobile carrier SFR, as well as snapping
up Portugal Telecom and another operator in the
Dominican Republic.

The Suddenlink deal could push off a long mooted
consolidation in France where Altice has openly said that it
would be the natural buyer of number three mobile player
Bouygues Telecom.

In recent months Bouygues' owner tycoon Martin Bouygues has
said his company is dedicated to remaining independent.
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